Sewing machine



G. S. GATCHEL L. SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21. 1918.

Patented July 18, 1922.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR mz w m/ af zzme BY I A ORNEY castes- GEORGE S. GATQHELL, OF ROSELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER IEANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEVJING MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patqgnted July 118, 1922,

Application filed November 21, 1913. Serial No. 263,453.

and at its other end joined to said standard,

and a bracket-arm carried by the standard and overhanging; the work-supporting arm. The stitch-forming instrumentalities of a machine of this type operate at the free end of the work-supporting arm and derive power from a main-shaft usually journaled within and transversely of the standard and having an out-board projection to which is fixed a hand-wheel; the latter being necessarily disposed remote from the stitching point.

In the use of a machine of this character,

the operator, in finishing oif a seam, is obliged to reach for the remote hand-wheel and turn it forwardly until the needles of the machine are down and then backwardly a half-revolution to elevate the needles from the work and free the looper from the needle-loops so that the work may be withdrawn without so disarranging the needle threads that a newseam cannot be easily started.

The operators necessity of bending over and reaching from the stitching point at the front end of the machine to the handwheel adjacent the standard, each time the needle-threads are to be severed and the finished work removed, needlessly tires and wastes the time of the operator and slows up production.

It is therefore a desideratum of no small importance that the manually operated or controlled parts of the machine be constructed and arranged so that they may be reachedand manipulated with the least possible exertion and loss of time, and so that with a hand-wheel which is connected to the stitch-formlng and feeding mechanisms and is within easy reach of the operator for manipulation.

A further object of the invention is to provide the machine with a readily accessible hand-wheel which may be manipulated to free the needles and needle-loops from the work in theshortest possible space of time and with the least exertion on the part of the operator.

To the attainment of the above and other objects as will hereinafter appear,the machine frame, if-of the cylinder bed type, may have fixed thereto a bracket which projects forwardly from the-standard in spaced relation to the worlesupporting.arm and at its free end carries a bearing in which a handwheel is journaled .ina position below the bracket-arm, forwardly of the standard, and withinheasy reachof one of the operators hands. The hand-wheel is operatively connected with the main-shaft of the machine preferably by means of suitablespeed-multiplying means, whereby a given. angular movement of the hand-wheel will produce a greater angular. movement of the mainshaft, thus making manual manipulation of the main-shaft less tiring to the operator and reducing to a minimum the necessary motions incident to the freeing of the needle-loops from the looper preparatory to removal of the work from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the parts of the machine adjacent the stitching point.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated, the machine as to all details not specifically referred to hereinafter is constructed substantially in accordance with. the disclosure in my copending application Serial No. 185,446, filed August 10, 1917. The machine frame comprises a base 1 from which rises the standard 2 sustaining the overhanging bracket arm 3 which terminates in the hollow head 4 in which are journaled the reciprocating needle-bar 5 and presser-bar 6 carrying, re spectively, the eye-pointed needles 7 and the presser-foot 8. I

The needles 7 cooperate in the usual mannor with the threaded looper 8 mounted at the forward end of the sliding and oscillating looper shaft 9 journaled lengthwlse of and within the hollow work-supportingarm 10 which is free at its forward end and at its rearward end is joined to the stand ard 2 at a point above the base 1, whereby a free space about the work-arm 1s provided to permit the sewing up of tubular work.

The presser-foot 8 cooperates with the fulling and main feed-dogs 11 and 12, re: spectively, to full-in the work in advance of the needles 7 and feed the stitched work away from the needles and toward the standard 2.

The needle-bar 5 is connected by alink 13 to a crank arm 14: at the front end of the oscillating needle-actuating shaft 15 journaled within and lengthwise of the bracket-arm At its rearward end the shaft 15 carries a crank-arm 16 which is connected by the pitman 17 to a crank 18 formed in the main-shaft 19 ournaled 1n the standard 2 transversely of the plane of As previously constructed, machines which feed the wor: toward the standard have been provided with the hand-wheel mounted upon the main-shaft at the rear of the machine, thus making it necessaryfor the operator to lose much time in bending over and reaching for the relatively remote handwheel preparatory to the usual operation of turningthe hand-wheel backwardly a half revolution to free the looper from the needle-loops.

To obviate this waste of eflort and loss of time on the part of the operator, it is proposed to mount the hand-wheel adjacent the stitching point, so that the operator may quickly shift his handsidewise from stitching position and grasp the hand-wheel Without elevating his entire arm or reaching to the main-shaft at the rear of the machine. The hand-wheel is therefore located below the level of the bracket-arm 3 and in advance of the standard 2, in which position it is particularly easy of access to the operator. p 7

The hand-wheel 20 may be conveniently mounted in the desired location by being fixed to a short transverse shaft 21 journaled in the boss 22.at the forward end of the arm 23 of a suitable bracket screwed at its rear end to the side of the standard 2. The hand-wheel shaft 21 carries a pulleywheel 24 which is connected by the belt 25 to a similar pulley-wheel 26 fixed to the main-shaft 19. The pulley-wheel 26 is preferably made smaller than the pulley-wheel 2 1, having, in the present instance, a diameter of substantially one half the diameter of the pulley-wheel 24. To prevent objectionable slippage of the belt 25 it may be provided with the usual belt clips 27 which mesh with suitable transverse slots 28 in the belt contacting surfaces of the pulleys. The belt may be encased within a suitable belthousing 29.

By virtue of the speed-multiplying connection between the hand-wheel 20 and main-shaft 19 it will be understood that the operator, in reversing the machine, need impart but one quarter revolution to the hand-wheel to effect the necessary half revolution of the main-shaft. This may be done by a single oscillatory movement of the operators hand whereas, heretofore, a plurality of oscillatory motions of the operators hand have been required to effect the desired half revolution of the main-shaft. The arm 28 of the bracket is spaced from the work supporting arm 10 and does not interfere with the accumulation of tubular work about the work-supporting arm.

The invention is not to be understood as limited to a machine of the cylinder bed type but may also be used to advantage in connection with fiat bed and various other types of machines.

Having thus set forth the natureof the invention, what I claim herein is- 1. A sewing machine comprising a stand ard and a work-supporting arm extending therefrom, stitch-forming mechanism adjacent the free end of the arm, a main-shaft mounted in the standard, operative means connecting the stitch-forming mechanism and the shaft, a hand-wheel mounted in advance of said standard and independently of the work-supporting arm, substantially at the level of and adjacent the stitch-forming mechanism, and operative means connecting the hand-wheel and main-shaft.

2. A sewing machine formed with a standard, a bracket-arm, and a work-supporting arm free at one end and at its opposite end joined to said standard with a free space about said work-supporting arm permitting of sewing;v up of tubular work, stitch-forming and work-feeding mechanisms incorporated in said frame, said feeding mechanisms op erating to feed the work lengthwise of the work-supporting arm, a main-shaft journaled in said standard for driving said stitch-forming and work-feeding mecha nisms, a forwardly projecting bracket carried by' said standard, a rotatable handwheel carried by said bracket adjacent the free end of the work-supporting arm, and

an operative connection between said handwheel and main-shaft.

3. A sewing machine formed with a standard, a bracket-arm, and a work-supporting frame and including a reciprocating needle and a looper, worlnfeeding mechanism incorporated in said frame and operating to feed the work lengthwise of the work-supporting arm, a main-shaft j ournaled in said standard for driving said stitch-forming and Work-feeding mechanisms, a forwardly projecting bracket carried by said standard and spaced from said work-supporting arm, a rotatable hand-wheel carried by said bracket adjacent the free end of the work-supporting arm, and a speed multiplying connection between said hand-wheel and mainshaft, whereby a given angular movement of the hand-Wheel Will produce a greater angular movement of the main-shaft.

4. A sewing machine comprisinga standard and a work-supporting arm extending therefrom, stitch-forming mechanism adja cent the free end of the arm, a main-shaft mounted in the standard, operative connections from the shaft to the stitch-forming mechanism, a bracket secured to the standard. and extending to a point adjacent the stitch-forming mechanism, a hand-wheel rotatably mounted in said bracket adjacent the stitch-forming mechanism and an operative connection between the hand-Wheel and the main-shaft.

.In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE S. GATCHELL. 

